I need money. as some time ago I wrote about on the topic how our National Health Fund cuts money for stroke treatment and I try to save for new computer, I think about money quite frequently.

I decided the amounts I’m spending on treatment from my pocket. The information you need first is that I get about 750 zł a month(=ca. 170 EUR=ca.180 USD). It’s a minimal amount you can get from our National Insurance Company for saving there for a lifetime.

I decided to count my usual money spent on ‚aroundstroke’ things.

Well, here it goes.

My physiotherapist gets 70 zł/h=c.16 EUR=c.17 USD) She comes here twice a week. Not too much, but also not too little. Some physiotherapists in my city demand much more. In some cases hourly rate can be lower. As far as I know my neighbors pay much more for the therapist.

Lets count: 70*4,5(weeks in a month i think)*2= 630PLN=146EUR=157USD

my water massage for hand and leg. Both for 7 zł (with a discount. Normally it would cost 14 zł). I go there twice a week.

Lets count: 7*2*2*4,5=126 zł=29EUR=31USD

meds I can only estimate cause I buy bigger cuantities at one time. I mean doctors perscribe sometimes for more than one month. That’s fair.

Lets count: it should be around 100 zł a month=23EUR=25USD

But lets count further. Some specialists i see for „free” (public health system), but some I see in private offices. There are nice surprises. Allergist and laryngologist were available publicly and in sensible terms. But there are specialists you have to pay. The waiting line or rheumatologist is just 2 years in my city in public clinic. Not everything is linked closely to strokes. But still, in some way for sure. Like last September I was sitting in hospital, but still i managed to pay for endocrinologist.

Lets count: average 130 zł/month i suppose=30EUR=32USD

and checkups. It’s easy to get referral from the doc for TSH and level of cholesterol once a year, and for tomography twice a year. But for some I have to pay myself.

Lets count: the averagely it would be around 30 zł per month=7EUR=7USD

Together is gives us 1136 zł/month=263 EUR=284. And i get only 750PLN=173 EUR=187USD.

That sucks big time;) But there is nothing much i can do.

I could sell all my books, but i use my parents, struggling to provide for me. That sucks. And I haven’t counted cost of my brand new nutritionist. which will cost me like 400-500 zł per month. All of it is half of my mom’s salary.

Well, i guess you should be wondering why I don’t wait to get everything publicly. But believe me, it’s impossible. Some things would be possible for sure, but it would extend the time of my recovery or even make my condition worse. I want to go back to work and provide for myself. You know what I mean.

3. vacooming, sweeping – sorry for that! For me it’s best to use healthy hand only for helping sick one. It took time to learn that, but finally I’m here. Healthy hand is resting more, spastic one works more

5. Ironing. The thong that I hate doing and wasnt doing even while being healthy. Only before interviews. But it just must be good. Hand get’s stronger, but puting your shirt on ironing board is pretty hard and precise action, isn’t it?

Well, it’s my tradition to say: mooom, it doesn’t mean that I will love completing all the chores you want me to!

PS

My special number six. During communist era my parents bought somewhere plenty of pasta and not milled coffe, you know, in seeds. It was like a miracle. But they left it once in tiny room with two dogs.

After coming back they saw disaster. Our beautiful dogs ripped all packagings and mixed all together. Well. If you know anything about communist Poland, you know, that it couldn’t be wasted. So my parents st there for hours playing in Cinderella game. Separating coffe from noodles.

since I’ve started with hydro-massages my foot is much less stiff. For example: all my toes touch the ground.

But lately I’ve been sick and been spending time in bed. And i realised that my spasticity got bigger. AGain. I will go back to my massages as soon as possible. It’s good to know, that my hydro-massager for feet works well. I want to assure you that these are not pointless.

Another person who got such gift from Santa also claims that her foot hurts bit less:) That means that we can recommend it to you:) Me, for sure!:)

in my humble opinion stoke is like the worst hangover you can imagine. Which lasts and lasts and lasts for too long…

your are mumbling instead talking

you can’t keep your balance

light and noise are like millions of needles which stick into your soul

this headacheeeeeeeeee

you are so tired

and so poor

world seems to be unfair and full of evil

you can’t control your body

you can’t swallow or you can’t even look at food

But this hangover doesn’t leave you after a day in bed. You have to work hard to mineralize its effects.

I’m writing abut it for few reasons. First: I want you to feel it a bit more. Secondly: I want to express that I’m happy not to have hangovers anymore;p Third thing would be wishing you

to not have any hangover-like symptoms,

I wish you happy 2017. I hope it will be kind, veryyyyy healthy and happy. I hope that you will have like millions of dollars and all institutions will have stay away from you. I hope that 2017 will give you love, joy and friendship. I hope that government will not piss you off, bed will be always warm, and headaches will keep away.

Dear 2016, fuck off. You weren’t too kind for me, for the world also, to tell the truth. Few nice surprises will not recompense me all the diseases and hours of doubts. I’ve just kicked your butt and i want inform you that my delicious champagne (below) is going to bit you up. Ok, let’s face the truth: 2017 doesn’t have a difficult task to do;)
PS

lately I’ve been whining a bit too much. My first new year’s resolution is to stop it. Good one, isn’t it?

Well, my trip to Warsaw didn’t go quite as I planned. I went to my beloved doc and I managed to see my beloved friends. I had some troubles buying my falafel. I was too distractd to focus on the menue.

My hemi-paresis and confusion was bigger than usually.

And from one moment I don’t remembr anything. Friends said that I was speaking clearly but without sense. And one moment I lifted my hand up and I was staring at it. Like a Statue of Liberty?

Then i started to turn my body left. And I clamped my jaws. And I fell. Or I was blown down… And I started to shake.

From what I don’t remember my friends reaction was full of panic. Crying and running around. Someone put me in the recovery position. My awaress came back in hospital. Someone told me that they suspect another stroke. I remember crying so much. Word ‚epilepsy’ was used later. When I saw my friends I became calm. I even joked. 😉

My doctors were supercool. Most of nurses and ward nurses also. During next days my epilepsy was confirmed. Now I’m a strokie with pilepsy blem.

We don’t now how it will develop. Maybe drugs will work perfctly and this attack was my last epileptic performance. But it doesn’t have to be one time show. In hospital I met a girl with post-stroke epilepsy who still can’t win her battle. I feel so sorry for her.

In this moment I’d love to deny rumours that I was running out the topics to write on my blog(s) and that’s why I developed epilepsy. It wasn’t also for fading interest in my person. I don’t invite anyone for medical marihuana just yet.

Mr. Marek was one of these who didn’t keep their balance after a brain stroke, not speaking about walking. We were seeing each other at mr. Krzytof’s physiotherapy daily. I was a witness of his successes which – i must admit – were spectacular.

We spoke a bit during our rehabilitation. When I was telling him that it’s worth to read aloud for yourself to practice speaking, he was saying that he is speaking to him self a lot. He had many plans before the stroke, including redecorating the kitchen. He had to discuss these things as he didn’t know whether he has to do adjustments for disabled.

When, after stroke ward, but on a rehabilirtation unit he stopped talking to himself. He had many men around to practice speaking. Logical.

But I saw him ferom his first days in a hospital and I was like a fan of him. I watched closely and I saw man who is not complaining and day by day is getting better. I told him that. He was giving me the best smile ever.

And he left hospital just few days before me. I didn’t ask him about it, but somehow I think that adjustments for disabled will not be needed.

As you may know I’m taking part in a spasticity project. It is going on!

We would like to invite you ask about everything you want to know about spasticity. Or such questions you know answers to, but you think it’s important to appear on website:) The website is designed to be place of knowledge about spasticity.

All the questions you can send to our very friendly Nicole: N.Robinson-Edwards(at)stroke.org.uk 🙂 or to me, if you wish.

As far as I know all questions will be answered by experts and stroke survivors.

I’m going to send my own questions for sure. Especially about pain managing, cause my feet hurts all the time…

And because I wrote this text on Friday: listen to my Friday song. For few years I wanted to sing it withe boys in the radio… 😉